Chilean miners getting antidepressants...

[snugglejunkie]

Anyone else think this a little premature?

here

It is a horrible ordeal they are going through I'm certainly not debating that - and am pleased that they are getting advice and counselling from the likes of NASA.

However antidepressants are not to be taken lightly and are not some panacea for all people and all difficult circumstances. They can have side effects, take a while to start working properly and then you have to be weaned off them gradually.

It seems a bit odd to me that they are just sending some down with medical supplies without seeing if other les pharmalogically-based coping strategies work first.

Thoughts?

...nearly posted this in AIBU, but not posted there before and bottled it!

I think they should give them some strong drugs like valium to pass the time

less, not les. Stupid fingers.

Fatty

i almost agree with fatty, poor poor men. I was thinking., cant they send down some nappy bags so they can bag up their waste. its just the stuff of nightmares, and when someone dies....I pray for them

Fatty

I doubt that they are sending drugs down there like smarties. I'm sure a doctor would have to assess each patient before prescribing.

The idea of antidepressants is . This led me thinking to hostage situations such as Terry Waite and John Mccarthy who were held in small dark places for months/years. Has anything been studied from their ordeals (ie how they coped etc) that could be applied to this situation to help these poor men?

To cope with the situation mentally I mean?

I think I have no idea what to do in such a situation and think that it should be left to the pros.

If I was stuck underground for 4 months I would want some nice drugs to make it easier - weaning off them later is the least of their concerns right now.

Perhaps they have indicated that they are in need, or even already have diagnosed issues. Remember that they have already been down there for 22 days, much of that with no idea of whether they would live or die. It just doesn't bear thinking about.

Well, it isn't saying that all of the men are routinely going to be taking anti-depressants, just that they are sending some down. Presumably a psychologist will assess any individual and recommend them if appropriate. I'd guess one of the miners will be given responsibility for things like pills, as they have also been given other medicines, and someone will need to look after the supplies, and give them out as required.

There has been mention in a few articles about them having routines and responsibilities to help keep them running as smoothly as possible down there, and I understand they have sought advice from submariners and NASA about strategies for helping them keep going in this sort of situation.

I think my concern was that earlier reports just said that antidepressants 'were being sent down' - it sounded quite arbitrary. There didn't appear to have been enough time for them all to have been individually assessed and seemed a little knee-jerk iyswim.

As more info comes out it does seem a bit more measured. I'm not at all 'anti' antidepressants, they absolutely have there place, just a bit wary of them bandied about like simple cure-alls.

fwiw I think that contact with loved ones & outside world, counselling, clear roles, good routines and a balance of activites will go a long way to keeping them on the level.

Really hope they manage to get them out for Xmas though - reckon that'll be a big milestone for them.

Eurgh. their place, not there

I would want every drug going to get me through several months down a mine. They have a long haul ahead of them .

I can't see that it's a bad thing. Those poor, poor men.

If it was me down there, I wouldn't be worrying about weaning myself off anything later, I would want help making things more bearable now.

snuggle - what I heard was that 5 miners had been identified as experiencing symptoms of depression, these are the ones who the ADs are being sent down for. Apparently there is also a team of phsycologists (I can't spell that word!) being sent there to monitor them and talk to them.

Yes Ali - I have heard that too since orig post and agree that anti-d's right for those individs. Does now sound like proper assessment going on.